Nakazato Tarouemon 13th (1923-2009) Vintage KARATSU pottery bowl #5076

Height: approx. 7.2cm (2 27⁄32in)

Caliber: approx. 12.1cm (4 3⁄4in)

Weight: 263g (gross 503g)

Nakazato Tarouemon 13th
1923-2009
male
karatsu pottery

Eldest son of the 12th Tarouemon. Graduated from the design department of the Tokyo Advanced Technical School. Studied under Kato Hajime. Became the 13th Tarouemon in 1969 when his father (sobriquet Muan) became a monk. First selected for the Japan Fine Arts Exhibition in 1951. Won the Hokuto Prize; was specially selected; is a judge and member; entrusted. Has received the Prime Minister’s Prize and is a director. Won the Japan Ceramics Association Prize and the Japan Arts Academy Prize. Judge in the Japan New Crafts Exhibition. His works have been procured by the Kyoto National Art Museum and others. Has held solo exhibitions as well as a father-son exhibition at the Seoul National Art Museum. Focuses on the knocking technique.

Karatsu chawan (tea bowl) is very popular, as person of refined taste said: “First Ido, Second Raku, and Third Karatsu”. (A slightly later term, “First Raku, Second Hagi, and Third Karatsu,” is said to have been coined to describe only domestic products) Among other things, Karatsu tea bowls have unique features and atmosphere. The origin of Karatsu ware was Korean pottery actually. The potters were brought from Korea opened kilns and made Korean style pottery after Imjin War (1592-1597), Japanese Toyotomi Hideyoshi troops invaded Korea. While the story of its origin is a shameful episode in Japanese history, excellent Korean pottery techniques were handed down to Japan. Therefore the drawings on early karatsu ware are in the Korean style, while later drawings are more Japanese. Mikaduki-koudai (crescent shape foot) and Zarame (red rough clay) are some of the special features of karatsu chawan.

Karatsu clay is hard. It is appeared the shrunk ‘chirimen-jiwa’ when shave the bottom of karatsu ware with bamboo spatula.

The uniqueness of Karatsu ware—or Karatsu Yaki—lies in its glaze and clay. The glaze most commonly used in Karatsu ware is the soil ash glaze. It comes from wood ash and is the most widespread basic glaze of Karatsu ware. The second most commonly used glaze—the straw ash glaze—uses the cloudy characteristic of straw ash to bake the Karatsu ware and give it a cloudy tint. Other glazes such as iron glaze, ash glaze etc., are also used.
While there are many types of clay used to make Karatsu ware, the most commonly used is one known as Suname in Japanese—”Suna” means sand and “me” means appearance—due to the characteristic roughness of this clay. The second most commonly-used clay is called fine Suname; it is strongly adhesive. Fine Suname clay has parts that are highly rich in iron and other parts that are not. The former turns blackish brown after the firing process. As the latter becomes near-white upon firing, motifs brushed onto this part of the clay develop a vivid color.